Home > O'Reilly still falsely claiming he only "reported" groups calling Tiller "the baby killer"

O'Reilly still falsely claiming he only "reported" groups calling Tiller "the baby killer"

Bill O'Reilly again falsely claimed that he had only "reported" anti-abortion groups referring to George Tiller as "Tiller the baby killer." In fact, O'Reilly himself has repeatedly referred to Tiller that way.

In his June 3 column[1] about the murder of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller, Bill O'Reilly again falsely claimed that he had only "reported" anti-abortion groups referring to Tiller as "Tiller the baby killer." In fact, O'Reilly himself has repeatedly referred to Tiller that way.

O'Reilly wrote that "far-left loons ... immediately blamed me and Fox News for inciting Tiller's killer. Even though I reported on the doctor honestly, the loons asserted that my analysis of him was 'hateful.' " O'Reilly continued: "Chief of among the complaints was the doctor's nickname, 'Tiller the baby killer.' Some pro-lifers branded him with that, and I reported it. So did hundreds of other news sources." However, O'Reilly has not only "reported" on the term's usage by "pro-lifers," but he has adopted it himself, repeatedly referring to Tiller as "the baby killer" on his Fox News show:

On the May 15 edition of The O'Reilly Factor, O'Reilly stated that Kathleen Sebelius, who was then the governor of Kansas and is now secretary of health and human services, "is the most pro-abortion governor in the United States. Based upon Dr. Tiller, the baby killer in her state, and all of that. All right? So there's no doubt."

On the May 11 edition of The O'Reilly Factor, O'Reilly said Sebelius "is pro-abortion. She wants the babies done for. This is -- she supported Tiller the baby killer out there."

On the April 27 edition of The O'Reilly Factor, O'Reilly said that Sebelius "recently vetoed a bill that placed restrictions on late-term abortions in Kansas. The bill was introduced because of the notorious Tiller the baby killer case, where Dr. George Tiller destroys fetuses for just about any reason right up until the birth date for $5,000."

On the April 3 edition of The O'Reilly Factor, O'Reilly said, "Tiller got acquitted in Kansas, Tiller the baby killer."

On the March 27 edition of The O'Reilly Factor, O'Reilly stated: "Now, we have bad news to report, that Tiller the baby killer out in Kansas -- acquitted. Acquitted today of murdering babies. I wasn't in the courtroom. I didn't sit on the jury. But there's got to be a special place in hell for this guy."

As Media Matters for Americanoted[2], since Tiller was shot to death[3] on May 31, O'Reilly has attributed the term to others and claimed he only "reported" it. For instance, on the June 2 edition of The O'Reilly Factor, O'Reilly read an email from a viewer who asked, "Mr. O'Reilly, how can you be sure that reciting 'Tiller the baby killer' over and over again did not inflame the assassin?" O'Reilly responded, "The doctor was involved in a criminal case. I reported what groups were calling him. I reported accurately." Similarly, on the June 1 edition of his program, O'Reilly stated that Tiller was "nicknamed 'The Baby Killer' by pro-life groups."